Far-Right Marchers Unleash Violence on Palestinians as Israel Commemorates

Jerusalem, a city steeped in millennia of history and profound religious significance for billions, once again found itself at the epicenter of escalating tensions as far-right Israeli ultranationalists engaged in widespread assaults against Palestinians during the annual Jerusalem Day "Flag March." This year's commemoration of Israel's 1967 capture of East Jerusalem devolved into scenes of chaotic violence, marked by racist chants, physical attacks, and a palpable sense of provocation that underscored the deeply fraught reality of the city.
Jerusalem Day, or Yom Yerushalayim, is officially observed as a national holiday in Israel, marking the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli control following the Six-Day War. For many Israelis, it is a day of celebration, symbolizing a return to historic Jewish holy sites and the assertion of Israeli sovereignty over the entirety of the city. However, for Palestinians, Jerusalem Day represents the ongoing occupation of East Jerusalem, their displacement, and the systematic erosion of their rights and presence in the city. The route of the annual Flag March, which deliberately passes through the narrow streets of the Old City's Muslim Quarter, has long been a flashpoint, transforming a national celebration into a highly provocative display of power and dominance.
This year, the atmosphere was particularly charged, intensified by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and heightened tensions across the West Bank. Even before the official start of the march, groups of young, often radicalized, Jewish Israelis descended upon the Muslim Quarter. Eyewitness accounts, including those from journalists and local residents, detailed a systematic campaign of harassment, spitting, cursing, and physical assaults against Palestinian passersby and shopkeepers. Many Palestinian businesses, anticipating the aggression, had already shuttered their doors, leaving the historic alleys eerily quiet yet imbued with an underlying fear. Those who remained open or were caught unaware faced the brunt of the nationalist fervor.
The core of the violence centered around the aggressive chants that reverberated through the Old City, most notably "Death to Arabs" and other overtly racist and anti-Arab slogans. These chants were not isolated incidents but a pervasive feature of the march, indicating a deep-seated animosity among a significant segment of the participants. The Kahanist fist, a symbol associated with the extremist ideology of the late ultranationalist Rabbi Meir Kahane, was prominently displayed on many marchers' shirts, further signaling the extremist leanings of a substantial portion of the crowd. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a figure widely associated with the far-right, was lauded by the marchers, and his presence, along with his earlier visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound (known to Jews as the Temple Mount), was seen as a deliberate act of provocation that further inflamed an already volatile situation.
Palestinians, including women and journalists covering the events, were subjected to direct physical assaults. Accounts reported individuals being attacked with sticks, flagpoles, and even glass bottles. Medics attempting to reach the wounded were also reportedly targeted by some of the crowd, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the aggression. Properties in Palestinian neighborhoods, such as Sheikh Jarrah, were vandalized, leading to clashes between residents attempting to protect their homes and the marauding marchers. Israeli police, despite their considerable presence, were criticized by many for failing to adequately protect Palestinian residents and, in some instances, for even appearing to condone the violence, with one officer reportedly seen celebrating and hugging a marcher.
The historical context of Jerusalem Day is crucial to understanding the intensity of these confrontations. The 1967 Six-Day War resulted in Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem, which it subsequently annexed in a move not recognized by most of the international community. This annexation, combined with subsequent Israeli settlement expansion and policies aimed at solidifying Jewish control over the city, has led to a protracted and often violent struggle for Jerusalem's future. Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, and the annual march through their neighborhoods is perceived as a deliberate humiliation and a symbol of their ongoing dispossession. The event thus becomes a microcosm of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where national narratives clash violently on the ground.
The international community and internal Israeli voices swiftly condemned the day's events. The US State Department denounced the "outrageous and unacceptable" violence and racist behavior. Within Israel, opposition leaders like Yair Lapid and Yair Golan sharply criticized the march, with Lapid calling it a "festival of hatred and racism" and "a disgrace and an insult to Judaism." Golan stated that the images of violence were "shocking" and indicative of "hatred, racism and bullying." These criticisms underscored a growing concern among more moderate elements of Israeli society about the trajectory of the far-right and its impact on the nation's democratic values and international standing.
The Jerusalem Day march, far from being a mere parade, has increasingly become a sectarian show of force, directly contributing to heightened tensions and, as seen in the past, even wider conflicts. The 2021 march, for instance, preceded an 11-day war in Gaza, underscoring the delicate balance of peace in the region and how easily it can be shattered by provocative acts. The events of this Jerusalem Day serve as a stark reminder of the unresolved issues surrounding Jerusalem's status and the persistent human cost of a conflict fueled by extremist ideologies and unaddressed historical grievances. The violence inflicted upon Palestinians during this year's commemoration only deepened the wounds of a city longing for peace but repeatedly delivered conflict.
Source@BBC